KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 19): The permanent forest reserve areas in Peninsular Malaysia has increased to 4,811,226 hectares as of Dec 31, 2017, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Water, Land and Natural Resources Deputy Minister Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji said the area covers 36.42 per cent of the total area of 13,209,065 hectares of land in the Peninsular.

He said it was an increase of 23,968 hectares or 0.5 per cent of the total area of permanent forest reserves for 2008.

“This shows that the sustainable forest management practised in the Peninsular today does not result in forest deterioration. This occurs due to conversion of land use,” he said at the Dewan Rakyat, today.

He was replying to a question by Wong Tack (PH-Bentong) who wanted to know the extent of the massive forest replanting project that would be implemented by the non-governmental organisation Tropical Rainforest Conservation and Research Centre (TRCRC). 

Tengku Zulpuri said the government has yet to make a decision on the proposed replanting by TRCRC.

Meanwhile, Tengku Zulpuri said the government would table the Forestry Bill next year to improve forest management.